What's Going On?

January 2011 Newsletter

Articles

I hope this note finds you well and off to a great start with the 2011 guiding year. I'm writing today to give you an update on
the Certified Guides Co-op along with a recap of the events we were part of during the AMGA/IFMGA meetings in Boulder. Since
the fall meeting, the CGC has been very busy getting off the ground and we're excited to announce that we are now accepting
memberships! Please read on to learn about the CGC informational presentation in Eldorado Canyon, which permits we already
have and which ones we're seeking, access, how to sign up, our timeline, and what's next.

AMGA Annual Meeting Update

On Monday, November 15th, the CGC transitional Board and I presented our plan for getting the CGC off the ground.
The meeting took place in Eldorado Canyon State Park with 73 guides present. Guides from all over the US were present
alongside the current IFMGA president Herman Biner and several other international delegates. The meeting was well
received and many good questions were asked. For those of you who missed the meeting, a short PowerPoint presentation
can be found in the resource section on the CGC website here.

Permits

Since the meeting last fall, we've had a ton of great questions about the functionality of the co-op.
Out of those questions, the most consistently asked is, "What permits do/will you have?"

Here is a short list of what we currently have and are seeking in the first half of 2011:

Permits currently held by the CGC:

White Mountain National Forest

Moab BLM

Indian Creek BLM

Bridalveil Falls - Telluride, CO

Permits in transition from the CGF to the CGC (expected activity date - first qtr. 2011):

North Cascades National Park

Smith Rock State Park

Boulder Open Space (the Flatirons)

El Dorado Canyon State Park

Seneca Rocks (Mongahela National Forest)

New River Gorge

Devils Tower

Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina

Banff National Park, Canada

Yoho National Park, Canada

Kootenay National Park, Canada

Mt. Revelstoke/Glacier National Park, Canada

The Gunks

Ouray Ice Park

Check out the FAQ section on the CGC website for the most up-to-date list. If there is a permit we could get that will
help you out, please get in touch with me or a CGC Board member.

CGC Timeline

December 2010

The CGC forms an official transitional Board of Directors (BoD) to see the organization through to the first annual meeting.

The CGC conducts its first BoD meeting.

Version 1.0 of the Bylaws are completed and ratified by the Board during the first BoD meeting.

Version 1.0 of the Membership Agreement is completed and adopted during the first BoD meeting.

The CGC accepts its first members to the co-op.

The CGC receives its first NFS permit - for the White Mountain National Forest. This marks a huge success for our new co-op structure, as this was a permit that the CGF was unable to obtain based on the configuration of the Certified Guide Federation.

With the help of an outside resource, the NorthWest Co-op Development Center (NWCDC), the CGC conducts its first BoD training webinar. This is first of many monthly training sessions designed to educate our BoD on overseeing a successful co-op.

January - February
The CGC is now accepting new members. During the months of January and February, a CGC representative will be contacting certified
members of the AMGA to discuss membership options and answer questions you may have about the CGC. In the meantime, if you
know you wish to join, or have questions, please feel free to get in touch with me or one of the CGC Board members.

February
February 1st marks our goal for launching our non-permitted operations. Member-owners will be able to run trips on the
CGC in all non-permitted lands. This includes areas such as Europe, Asia, many places in South America, and any areas in the
US that do not require a permit to operate.

March
March 1st is our target date for launching permitted operations. At this point, the CGC will be fully functional, and
any permits that we currently hold will be available for use by current members.

Board of Directors

As of December 2010, the CGC has a Board of Directors that will oversee the organization through its first year of operations.
Future Board elections take place at the Fall 2011 CGC Annual Meeting. The members of the Board are listed below. If you
have any questions, please feel free to email a Board member directly: